THE FIRST PEOPLE EVER TO PICKET THE WHITE HOUSE,
AND YES, THEY GOT ARRESTED.
JANICE, THE OBJECT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY
IS THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF LUCY BURNS.
MM-HMM.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PICTURE.
WHAT IS IT THAT WE SEE RIGHT HERE?
LUCY BURNS WAS A VERY PROMINENT SUFFRAGE LEADER
IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A PHOTOGRAPH PROBABLY FROM ABOUT 1917
AT A POINT WHEN SHE WAS ACTUALLY ARRESTED
FOR HER SUFFRAGE ACTIVITIES.
SHE WAS PART OF A GROUP OF WOMEN
WHO HAD REACHED A POINT IN THEIR CAMPAIGN
WHERE THEY HAD TRIED ALL KINDS OF PARADES
AND LOBBYING AND PAGEANTS AND VERY ELABORATE ACTIVITIES
TO GET THE ATTENTION OF BOTH THE PUBLIC
AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT
TO SUPPORT A FEDERAL AMENDMENT FOR WOMEN'S VOTING RIGHTS.
SO THEY--THEY CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN
OF PICKETING THE WHITE HOUSE
AND ARE CONSIDERED AMONG THE FIRST, IF NOT THE FIRST,
POLITICAL PROTESTORS TO MARCH IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH SIGNS STATING WHAT THEIR CASE AND CAUSE WAS.
NOW, WAS THIS IMPRISONMENT THAT WE SEE IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH,
WAS THIS CONNECTED WITH A PRISON HUNGER STRIKE?
INDEED; BURNS AND ALICE PAUL,
WHO WAS ALSO THE CO-LEADER OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S PARTY,
DID ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO WAGE HUNGER STRIKES WHEN IN PRISON.
AND ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE OFTEN SENTENCED QUICKLY,
PARDONED, AND RELEASED,
BUT THEY BEGAN ACTUALLY GIVING THEM LONGER SENTENCES
FOR A CHARGE OF OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC,
WHEN IN FACT, THEY WERE REALLY BEING IMPRISONED
BECAUSE THEY WERE POLITICAL PROTESTORS.
WHEN THEY MADE THAT DECISION
THAT THEY WERE GONNA GO ON THIS HUNGER STRIKE,
THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A GOOD LIKELIHOOD
THAT THE PRISON OFFICIALS WOULD TRY TO FORCE-FEED THEM.
WE HAVE A POSTER RIGHT HERE
SHOWING JUST HOW BARBARIC THE PROCESS WAS.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE VIOLATION OF THEIR BODIES.
IT WAS AS MUCH AN ATTEMPT TO BASICALLY BREAK THEIR SPIRIT,
TO HUMILIATE THEM, TO LEAVE THEM TOTALLY POWERLESS,
AND CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE
FOR SOMEBODY THAT WAS SIMPLY OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC.
AS HORRIBLE A PROCESS AS IT WAS FOR THESE WOMEN TO GO THROUGH,
IT REALLY DID GENERATE AMONG A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
GREAT SYMPATHY FOR THEM.
JANICE RUTH, MANUSCRIPT SPECIALIST
IN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.